Join us whenever you like in our Meditation Sittings every Tuesday, 7:30-8:30 pm, at the Friends Meeting House, 4211 Grand Ave., Des Moines (northwest corner of 42nd and Grand), and in our occasional retreats and other activities, announced by email and on our website. There is no charge. Contact any teacher with questions or issues.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Meditation Friends: Please join me, if interested, in my class described below, which will include a report on my recent experiences at an inter-religious retreat in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 16-19 entitled "Sharing Meditation Practices and Esoteric Rituals for the Betterment of the World Community."

CLASS DESCRIPTION: This course will focus on the doctrinal similarities and differences between Buddhism and Christianity and how these dissolve with the realization of the mystical experience called enlightenment or Christ-consciousness. Included will be a report on my recent experiences at an inter-religious retreat in Tokyo titled "Sharing Meditation Practices and Esoteric Rituals for the Betterment of the World Community." Assigned readings, lectures, discussions, guided meditations, and home practices will be used to assist participants in moving from an intellectual to a transcendental experience of mysticism.

Open to everyone, regardless of their belief system or any previous meditation experience. Participants are encouraged to meditate at least 20 minutes on at least three days of each week during the course, using any practice they're already familiar with or the "breath meditation" taught during the first class.

A recommended but not required reading is: “Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian" by Paul Knitter, Professor of Theology, Union Theological Seminary. Order from local book stores or online at www.amazon.com. Also, recommended will be several articles I've written related to the topic and available free online at www.DesMoinesMeditation.org.